Never have I had such great food.

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Inversions With Negative Adverbials

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After this lesson, you will be familiar with some common English expressions that will make your speech more dramatic.

Exercise 1

Sentence Practice

I have never seen such a rainy day.
Never have I seen such a rainy day.
He not only lied, but he also stole from us.
Not only did he lie, but he also stole from us.
We did not find out that she had a cold until she came to work.
Not until she came to work did we find out that she had a cold.
I did not know that he was a professional chess player.
Little did I know that he was a professional chess player.

Grammar Focus

Why use Negative Adverbials?

'Negative adverbials' are used at the beginning of a sentence in order to make it more emphatic or dramatic. Compare the following set of sentences for the given situation:

Situation: At the park, I sat down to play chess with an old man.

I did not know that he was a professional chess player.
Little did I know that he was a professional chess player!

Sentence (1) is a simple statement of fact: you were not aware of something. Sentence (2) however is much more dramatic: the old man was so good at chess, he surpassed your expectations.

How to use Negative Adverbials

Negative adverbial sentences take this form: negative adverbial + helping verb + subject + verb. The most common negative adverbials are 'not only', 'not until', 'never' and 'little'.

I have never seen such a beautiful sight.
Never have I seen such a beautiful sight!

I knew little that he was a professional chess player. (note that we don't actually say 'I knew little...' anymore)
Little did I know that he was a professional chess player.

Exercise 2

Sentence Practice

Not only does he play the piano, but he also plays the trumpet!
Not until he wins the award will he enter the team.
Never have I met such a smart person before.
Little did I know how expensive the repair would be.
Never have we spent so much time together.
Little did I know what she meant.
Not only is he a terrible singer, but his dance moves are very bad too.
Never has there been a more wonderful student in the history of our school.

Exercise 3

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.

does she know that we organized a surprise party for her.

A.
Little
B.
Not only

have I been at such a great concert.

A.
Never
B.
Not until

do I know how to drive a car, but I can also drive a motorcycle.

A.
Little
B.
Not only

he came to visit did I know how much I had missed him.

A.
Not until
B.
Little

has she felt so ill in her life.

A.
Not only
B.
Never

did they understand what it takes to be an astronaut.

A.
Little
B.
Never

is she smart, but beautiful too!

A.
Little
B.
Not only

he showed up did the real party start.

A.
Not until
B.
Never

before have I read something so beautiful!

A.
Not until
B.
Never

Exercise 4

Rephrasing Sentences

Rephrase the following sentences so they include negative adverbials at the beginning of the sentence.

Example

I have never been so disappointed. → "Never have I been so disappointed."

They were not only late, but they also forgot to bring the camera.

We have never had to run for such a long time.

He not only stole, but he also broke a window.

I have never seen such beautiful scenery.

We are not only making cakes, we are also making cookies.

I have never realized how difficult it is to understand that.

I did not know he was a professional chef.